​ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox after a walk against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 24, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) GettyThe Boston Red Sox are in the middle of a three-game series with the Miami Marlins, with the team taking the opener 4-2.Boston has been one of the better teams in baseball over the last couple of months, overcoming a very slow start to the season. The Red Sox are now in prime position to make the playoffs as a wild-card team in the American League.But the job isn’t done yet, and this group will need to finish the year on a high note. Making sure that they take care of business against Miami could play a big role, as stacking wins right now can help everything.Coming into the second game of the series, Boston holds a record of 72-59 on the season. The Red Sox are sitting in third place in the AL East, sitting six games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.Jarren Duran Decision Announced vs MarlinsAhead of the second game against Miami, the Red Sox have dropped the lineup. Within it, star outfielder Jarren Duran will be hitting in the seventh spot.Red Sox 8/25N. Sogard 3B C. Rafaela CF W. Abreu RF W. Contreras 1B M. Gasper DH A. Monasterio SS J. Duran LF A. Seigler 2B C. Wong CP. Tolle SP— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 25, 2026Duran also hit in the seventh spot against the Marlins in the series opener.Can Jarren Duran Finally Break Out for Red Sox?One of the bigger problems for the Red Sox this season has been the ongoing struggles from Duran at the plate. The former All-Star has seen problems arise all year long; nothing he has done has seemed to help alleviate the issues.Duran has hit .209 with 16 home runs and 72 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .632 this year. To his credit, Duran has played better in August, with the slugger hitting .267 during this month.But for the Red Sox to reach the goal of winning the World Series, Duran is going to need to step up in the manner that the organization knows he can. The outfielder has normally been one of the better players for this club, but 2026 has been a concerning year.Some have pointed to his playing in the World Baseball Classic as a potential reason for the struggles. Multiple guys around baseball have seen down years following the tournament, so there could be some thought to this idea.However, Duran knows he needs to be better. Earlier in the year, Duran believed that Boston could elect to release him due to his struggles.“To be honest, I thought I was going to be released,” Duran said. “I am the worst player in MLB statistically. I hate looking at the numbers, but when you’re going bad, you look at the numbers and it was pretty obvious how bad I was. I thought I was going to be released.”Will Jarren Duran be Traded?The Red Sox have stood by their outfielder, but for how much longer remains the big question. Duran is under contract for